Bylaws

SECTION 1 – NAME

The name of this organization shall be the National Association of ESEA State Program Administrators, hereinafter referred to in these Bylaws as the Association.

SECTION 2 – PURPOSE

The purpose of this Association shall be to study, strengthen, and promote the leadership role of education professionals working with disadvantaged children and youth including, but not restricted to, such means as:

a.) Exchanging ideas and information among members,
b.) Building leadership capacity for Association membership
c.) Collaborating with professional organizations involved with and interested in the improvement of education for disadvantaged children, youth and families,
d.) Planning and partnership with the United States Department of Education (ED) in mutual efforts to strengthen federal education programs, and
e.) Advocating for economically and educationally disadvantaged children and youth and their families.

SECTION 3 – MEMBERSHIP

There shall be three classes of membership: Voting, Honorary, and Affiliate.

a.) Voting Members

Any individual working at a State Education Agency (SEA) with responsibility for federal programs affecting disadvantaged children is eligible for membership. These Voting Members shall be entitled to hold office, participate in discussion, participate in and chair committees, receive publications, and other services of the Association on behalf of their SEAs.  When voting occurs during a membership meeting (whether in person or electronically), each member shall be entitled to one vote.

b.) Honorary Members
By action of the Board of Directors, honorary memberships may be conferred upon individuals who have contributed significantly to the work of the Association and the area of programs for disadvantaged children but who are not otherwise eligible for membership. Honorary members shall be exempt from dues and fees, may not run for or hold office or participate on committees, may not vote on Association business, but may otherwise participate in the same activities as other members.

c.) Affiliate Member
Any individual working at a Local Education Agency (LEA) with responsibility for oversight of federal programs affecting disadvantaged children is eligible for a non- voting affiliate membership. Affiliate members will be entitled to connect with colleagues from districts and states across the country and to participate on Other Committees as outlined in Article IV.

d.) Dues
The Board of Directors shall annually set the amount of dues for each category of membership. Nonpayment of dues by a member in a dues-paying category shall terminate the membership and all corresponding benefits.

e.) Transfer of Membership
When a member vacates a membership-eligible position within the SEA or LEA, the membership is retained by the SEA or LEA and may be transferred to the successor or other eligible position. 

f.) Period of Membership
The period of membership of each person who joins the Association in any membership category shall be 365 days from the payment of dues or granting of a non dues-paying status.

ARTICLE II - OFFICERS

SECTION 1 – OFFICERS

The officers of the Association shall be a President, a President-elect, a Vice President, a Past President, a Secretary, and a Treasurer. Each Officer must represent a different state. All voting members are eligible to run for, and may nominate themselves or others to, open offices during the nomination period available at least 45 days in advance of the election. All officers will be elected prior to the annual meeting of the Association by an electronic ballot by a majority vote of the ballots cast by voting members. The term of office shall begin on January 1, following ratification of election results. In conjunction with Association Management, all documents and records of the office shall be made available to the office successor.

SECTION 2 – PRESIDENT

The President shall preside over all meetings of the Board of Directors, the annual meeting, and all special meetings of the Association; shall appoint chairs for all committees not otherwise provided for in the Bylaws; shall be an ex-officio member of all committees of the Association; and shall represent and act in the name of the Association.
The term of this office is for one year.
Upon completion of the term of office, the President will become the Past President (see Section 5 of this Article).

SECTION 3 – PRESIDENT-ELECT

The President-elect shall preside over meetings in the absence of the President and shall assist the President in the administrative work of the Association.
The President-elect shall serve as chair of the national conference planning committee during his/her term of office as President-elect.

The term of this office is for one year.
Upon completion of the term of office, the President-elect will become the President (see Section 2 of this Article).

SECTION 4 – VICE PRESIDENT

The Vice President shall assist the President and President-elect in the administrative work of the Association. The Vice President shall serve as chair of the membership committee during his/her term of office as Vice President.
The term of this office is for one year.

Upon completion of the term of office, the Vice President will become the President–elect (see Section 3 of this Article).

SECTION 5 – PAST PRESIDENT

The Past President shall serve as a resource for the officers, Association Management, the standing committees and the general membership.
The term of this office is for one year, immediately following the Presidential term.
If, however, the immediate past president is no longer a member of the Association, or for any other reason unable to serve as Past President, the Board may appoint any current member who has previously served as president.

SECTION 6 – SECRETARY

The Secretary shall take and keep minutes of all Association and Board of Directors’ meetings. In conjunction with Association Management (see Article V), the Secretary shall preserve documents and records of the Association; transmit them to the successor; keep a record of membership; issue notices of meetings, etc. The Secretary shall perform other duties assigned by the President and/or Board of Directors.

The term of this office is for two years, elected in even numbered years.

SECTION 7 – TREASURER

The Treasurer shall, in conjunction with Association Management (see Article V), receive monies of the Association and provide for their safekeeping; pay all authorized bills and keep an accurate and current record of all receipts and expenditures of Association funds; make reports at the Association's meetings and at other times requested by the President; prepare a written yearly financial statement at the Association's annual meeting; and present a written budget at an Association meeting to be adopted, amended, or rejected by the Association, as requested by the Board of Directors.
The Treasurer shall serve as chair of the finance committee during his/her term of office as Treasurer.
The term of this office is for two years, elected in odd numbered years.

SECTION 8 – REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVES

The Board of Directors will determine five regions. The regional representative and alternate shall be the liaisons for the members in their region and each must represent a different state within the region. The responsibilities are communication, coordination, training, and outreach. Regional representatives will be elected by the members of their respective region. Alternate regional representatives shall act in place of regional representatives when necessary because of absence, or resignation. The person receiving the most votes for a regional representative will be elected as the regional representative. The person receiving the second most votes for a region will be elected as the alternate.

The term of these offices is for two years. Regions 1, 3 and 5 are elected in even numbered years and Regions 2 and 4 are elected in odd numbered years.

SECTION 9 – RESIGNATIONS AND VACANCIES

Resignations shall be made by written statement and submitted to the Board of Directors. In the case of any vacancy, the Board of Directors shall make an interim appointment to serve the balance of the term.

ARTICLE III - BOARD OF DIRECTORS

SECTION 1 – MEMBERSHIP

The voting members of the Board of Directors shall consist of the President, President-elect, Vice President, Past President, Secretary, Treasurer, and one representative elected from each of five regions. The regional alternates, and committee chairs shall serve as nonvoting advisory members of the Board.

SECTION 2 – DUTIES

It shall be the duty of the Board of Directors to carry out the general policies and Strategic Plan of the Association in a manner consistent with the mission of the Association and the directions of the active membership as expressed at the annual and special meetings. The Board of Directors shall foster open and ongoing communication with the membership and shall keep the membership informed of its actions.

SECTION 3 – MEETINGS

The Board of Directors shall meet monthly, or at the call of the President or a majority of the members of the Board. A quorum shall consist of six voting members.

ARTICLE IV - COMMITTEES

SECTION 1 – NATIONAL CONFERENCE PLANNING COMMITTEE

The President-elect shall be the committee chair and shall appoint the Planning Committee which shall be responsible for planning the annual conference.

SECTION 2 – GOVERNMENT RELATIONS COMMITTEE

The Government Relations Committee and chair shall be appointed by the President. The Committee shall be responsible for monitoring pertinent legislation and regulations and amendments. On behalf of the Committee, the chair will act as legislative advisor to the President, Board of Directors, and the Association.

SECTION 3 – MEMBERSHIP DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE

The Vice President shall be the committee chair and shall appoint the Membership Development Committee which shall be responsible for creating professional development opportunities for the members.

SECTION 4 – FINANCE COMMITTEE

The Finance Committee is a subcommittee of and reports directly to the Board of Directors. As such, the Finance Committee shall be responsible for overseeing the finances of the Association, creating and maintaining responsible fiscal procedures, and ensuring strong fiscal leadership of the organization. At a minimum, members of the committee shall be the President-elect, Vice President, Treasurer, and committee chairs. The President and Past President are optional members. The Treasurer shall serve as the Finance Committee chair. At the President’s discretion, a co-chair may be appointed from the membership-at-large.

SECTION 5 – OTHER COMMITTEES

The President shall appoint such other committees as are required to further the purpose of the Association on an annual basis. Committee leadership is appointed annually, unless specified in this Article.

ARTICLE V – ASSOCIATION MANAGEMENT

SECTION 1 – CONTRACTED MANAGEMENT

The Association contracts with an Association Management Company (AMC) to provide all necessary staffing, facilities and other components needed for efficient management of its annual operations. The Board shall establish a performance agreement with deliverables and shall evaluate the specified deliverables on an annual basis.

SECTION 2 – KEY PERSONNEL

The AMC will provide one of their staff members to serve as CEO of the Association, with the approval of the Association Board of Directors. Annually, the CEO shall report on the status of deliverables and make suggestions for the following year. The Secretary shall include this report or a summary thereof in the official minutes of the Association’s annual meeting.

The AMC will notify the Board of all AMC staff or contractor assignments to other key Association leadership roles, including administration, finance, and government relations. The Board may approve or reject each such leadership appointment.

ARTICLE VI – MEETINGS

Attendance by one-third of the voting members of the Association at a general meeting shall constitute a quorum. Robert's Rules of Orders, Revised, shall govern the meetings of the Association in all cases except as otherwise stated in the Bylaws. The President may designate an individual to serve as Parliamentarian to assist him/her in the conduct of official meetings.

SECTION 1 – ANNUAL MEETINGS

Meetings of the Association shall be held at least once a year on dates to be approved by the Board of Directors.

SECTION 2 – OTHER MEETINGS

Other meetings may be held at the call of the Board of Directors or the President.

ARTICLE VII - MISCELLANEOUS

SECTION 1 – BYLAWS

The Bylaws of the Association are to be made, altered or rescinded by a two-thirds vote of the ballots cast by voting members. Voting members shall be provided any proposed amendments to the Bylaws in writing 30 days prior to the start of the voting period.

SECTION 2 - BALLOT VOTING

Any action which may be taken by the Association, Board of Directors, or any committee or subcommittee of the Association which requires formal voting by the membership, may be taken by electronic ballot with a specified 15-day deadline placed for response.